Because good fences make good neighbors, the variety and design of fences and gates has undergone significant change in the recent past. Although fence material may generally be compacted for shipment, gates are typically shipped in an assembled, or at least partially assembled, condition, which requires the use of a considerable amount of space in the transport vehicle. Because shipping costs are constantly increasing, it is important that all products moving in commerce be shipped in their most compact form to reduce shipping costs.
A number of known gate structures are suitable for shipment in a collapsed form. Maillard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,635, discloses one such gate structure which is assembled from multiple parts, and therefore may be disassembled for storage and transport.
Wilkerson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,098 discloses an adjustable gate, which adjustment is made by fracturing portions of the gate frame at predetermined intervals. This frame is also suitable for storage and shipping in disassembled form, although the frame is disclosed as a one piece welded structure, which does not provide for easy disassembly.
Warwick, U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,384 discloses a gate which is assembled from component parts, and which may therefor be stored and shipped in a disassembled form.
The aforementioned disclosures generally include some form of a metal framework having a metal or wood web placed thereover to form the completed gate. Again, because metal and wood are relatively heavy materials, there has been a tendency to construct fences and gates out of lighter materials, such as plastics, and specifically vinyl. Fences so constructed have the advantage of being substantially rust-free, corrosion-free and in most instances, are more attractive that conventional fences and gates. This leads to longer life, and additionally, provides a material that is much lighter, and is therefor much less expensive to transport. Known vinyl gates, however, continue to be preassembled by their manufacturers and require additional space in the shipping vehicle.